Korean tree distribution platform ROOTRIX has closed a $3.12 million (KRW 4.5 billion) Series A funding round, with participation from returning investor Smilegate Investment alongside new backers CJ Investment, IBK(Industrial Bank of Korea), and D.CAMP (Bank-Backed Youth Startup Foundation).

ROOTRIX is South Korea’s only tree distribution startup to have built a dedicated marketplace connecting over 700 specialized tree farms with 102 landscaping contractors, generating cumulative revenue of approximately $5.9 million (KRW 8.5 billion).

The company’s core proposition targets what it calls the biggest pain point in landscaping projects: tree supply uncertainty. Landscaping site managers have historically struggled with fluctuating unit prices, inconsistent quality, and delayed deliveries — variables that inflate costs and throw project timelines into disarray. ROOTRIX addresses these challenges through a data-driven procurement system that guarantees the exact price quoted, verified tree quality, and on-time delivery, effectively reducing cost and schedule variance to zero.

With the new capital, ROOTRIX plans to scale beyond large-scale clients — which already include high-profile projects such as the Maple Xi apartment complex and Haesley Nine Bridges golf course — and extend its services to small and mid-sized landscaping contractors. The company aims to complete a streamlined procurement environment by the first half of this year, allowing contractors to request a tree quote via KakaoTalk and receive confirmed materials directly on site.

“Trees in landscaping have always been treated as unpredictable variables,” said Anjeong-rok, CEO of ROOTRIX. “We’ve turned them into manageable constants. This year, our goal is to become a partner that small and mid-sized landscaping firms can rely on completely — free from worries about pricing or delivery — so they can focus entirely on the craft of landscaping itself.”